John A. Farrell

Specter Party Switch Hurts Democrats and Republicans Alike

By

April 28, 2009 RSS Feed Print
  • Comment (5)

Related Articles

By John Aloysius Farrell, Thomas Jefferson Street blog

Sen. Arlen Specter's defection may sound like great news for Democrats and Team Audacity.

But in the long run, it could be bad for the Obama administration, and bad for the country.

The big thing the Democrats suffer from now is arrogance. The big thing that Republicans suffer from is ideological rigidity.

Specter's defection reinforces both trends.

The task of pulling the country back from destructive polarization is now a little tougher. And Barack Obama, the guy who got elected saying he would lead that charge, has been mostly AWOL.

As a liberal, maybe I should be happy. But as a civil libertarian and a student of history—with many years experience watching the jokers in Washington—I revere the checks and balances that those 18th-century geniuses built into our political system.

Another Northeast Republican is gone.

The Democrats are a little bit more unchecked this evening, and the Republicans more unbalanced.

Check out our political cartoons.

Tags:
Democratic Party,
Arlen Specter,
Senate,
Republican Party,
politics

Reader Comments Read all comments (5)

Add Your Thoughts
Your comment will be posted immediately, unless it is spam or contains profanity. For more information, please see our Comments FAQ.

Those 18th century geniuses did not build the Republican and Democratic parties into the system. Political parties do not provide checks and balances, quite the contrary. George Washington warned, in his famous farewell address, that "they are likely, in the course of time and things, to become potent engines, by which cunning, ambitious, and unprincipled men will be enabled to subvert the power of the people and to usurp for themselves the reins of government"

It is my fervent hope that you are right, that Specter's action does indeed hurt Democrats and Republicans alike.

Kevin C. Moore of AK 8:09AM April 29, 2009

It is good for Republicans. Many think moderate is a good thing no matter what it entails. The moderate can be wrong. Also, who says Specter is a moderate? How far left are we going to drift before we admit that people are far left rather left, and left rather than center. I am refered to as "far right" not because I was "far right" or have moved right but because so many have moved left and still want to call it center.

It is good for Specter because it was probably the only way he was going to be re-elected. The democrats will carry him over.

It is good for Democrats because they will pick up a seat; and power.

It is bad for the country because he will still be in Washington voting for the liberalism that will not help this country survive or thrive.

Fredrick Stone of NC 7:43PM April 28, 2009

I listened to Senator Spector's press conference today, and I must say his reasons made sense to me, not in a totally partisan "gotcha" kind of way, but as a commentary on the extremely polarized position of the current Republican Party, and the way they are forcing moderates out of their ranks left and right.

You call Democrats arrogant. Perhaps you could give some reasons for that, but I won't argue the point. However, whatever else we are, Democrats are inclusive and tolerant of a wide range of views. we might bicker, but we don't generally throw the baby out with the bathwater.

As an American citizen, I do find the radicalization of both parties a bit disheartening. I like to vote for individuals based on their merits as much as their party affiliation. It seems we are in a "my way or the highway" age of politics. I am not sure this is what the Founding fathers had in mind, and if it continues to escalate, I wonder how the United States of America can keep the U word in its name.

Maybe the arch conservative wing of the Republican Party will become more persuasive abouit their ideology over time. Maybe our young president will fail in his mission completely. Right now either scenario seems a pretty big stretch of the imagination to me.

Phoenician Lady of AZ 4:53PM April 28, 2009

John A. Farrell

John A. Farrell

John Aloysius Farrell is a contributing editor at U.S. News & World Report. An award-winning Washington reporter, he has written for The Boston Globe and The Denver Post and is the author of Tip O’Neill and the Democratic Century and an upcoming biography of the great American defense attorney, Clarence Darrow.

advertisement

Cartoons

Robert Schlesinger

An End to the NRA’s Angry Swagger

Polls show that overwhelming majorities of Americans, and even of NRA members, favor universal background checks.

Latest Videos

advertisement